


Christmas Break

by wallflowerwriting



Category: RWBY
Genre: Bumbleby - Freeform, Christmas, F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-24
Updated: 2020-02-14
Packaged: 2021-02-26 01:33:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,874
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21935269
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wallflowerwriting/pseuds/wallflowerwriting
Summary: Weiss Schnee and Blake Belladonna have been roommates since freshman year of college. Now juniors and living in an apartment, they go to pick out a Christmas tree for the upcoming holiday. After finding the perfect one, Blake goes to find someone to help them take it down. She mistakenly asks Yang Xiao Long to help thinking the girl works there. They spend the Christmas break getting closer and Blake wonders if she's ready to move on from her dark past into a much brighter future.
Relationships: Blake Belladonna & Yang Xiao Long, Blake Belladonna/Yang Xiao Long, Minor or Background Relationship(s), Qrow Branwen/Clover Ebi
Comments: 26
Kudos: 102





	1. Chapter 1

"Isn't it kind of big?" Blake sipped her tea as she looked at the Christmas tree Weiss was standing in front of.

  
"No! The tag says seven to eight feet. Our ceiling is eight feet. It's perfect." Weiss stood with her hands on her hips, beaming up at the tree. The girl was usually unenthused by anything and everything but the Christmas season was a different matter altogether. She came alive during the winter. "Now I'll stay here and guard it while you go and get a worker to help us get it down." Weiss pulled out Myrtenaster and held it at the ready. She narrowed her eyes at each person who passed daring them to try and take this tree from her.

  
Blake chuckled at her friend’s theatrics as she wandered off in search of help. It seemed she and Weiss had picked one of the busiest days to pick out their Christmas tree. She watched children chase each other around with snowballs. They were so carefree. She couldn't remember ever feeling that way. She had gotten involved with the White Fang when she was just a child herself.

  
She continued and spotted a blonde girl hefting a tree up expertly and laying it down on a cart. Wow, she looks...strong. Blake thought to herself as heat flamed her cheeks despite the nip in the air. From the look of her work boots and gloves, Blake assumed she worked there. She approached as a shorter girl jumped around in excitement.

  
"Thanks so much. It's perfect!"

  
"Excuse me," Blake said as she got closer. Both girls turned their eyes from the tree to Blake. "My friend and I needed someone to get our tree down."

  
"Oh, she doesn't..." The shorter girl started to say but the taller girl cut her off.

  
"No problem." She caught Blake's eye and held it a beat longer than the situation demanded. "Lead the way."

  
Blake reluctantly turned away and walked back the way she had come.

  
"Finally, a family of four has been poking around our tree, waiting for me to wander off so they can snatch it," Weiss said as Blake returned.

  
After the blonde girl laid the tree on the cart, Weiss offered her a few dollars as a tip.

  
"Oh, I don't work here." She declined the money.

"Then why did you..." Weiss turned to Blake in confusion.

"I'm sorry I just assumed," Blake said.

"I can see why. She looks like a lumberjack." Weiss said.

  
"I think it's the jacket. I told her that before we left the house." The shorter girl said referring to the yellow plaid jacket the girl was wearing. Blake hadn't realized she had followed them.

  
"What is this attack Yang day?" The blonde asked.

  
"I like your jacket," Blake looked down at the ground.

  
"At least someone appreciates me." Yang was watching Blake and when Blake turned her eyes up to Yang, Yang winked, causing her to blush. She chuckled and introduced herself. "Anyway, I'm Yang and this is my baby sister Ruby."

  
"I'm only two years younger." Ruby's protests were muffled as Yang threw an arm around her neck and pulled her tight against her.

  
"I'm Weiss Schnee and this is my roommate Blake Belladonna."

  
"Nice to meet you Weiss Schnee and roommate Blake Belladonna." Even though Yang was talking to both of them, her eyes never left Blake.

  
"We're going to go inside and get some hot chocolate to warm up if you guys want to join us." Ruby extricated herself from Yang's grip.

  
"We really should get going."

  
"That sounds lovely."

  
Weiss and Blake said at the same time.

  
"You already have tea." Weiss pointed out.

  
"It's gone cold." Blake tossed her cup into a nearby trash barrel even though it was more than half full and still piping hot. "You won't melt, Ice Queen." Blake knew she would get her way then. Weiss hated that old nickname from freshman year and would relent to almost anything to shake it.

  
"Fine," Weiss said. "But I'm not tying the tree to the car. I get stuck doing it every year." By every year, she meant the last two years the girls had lived together. A computer algorithm had decided they would make perfect roommates freshman year of college. While the first semester had got off to a rough start, the girls slowly realized they had a lot in common. That first year, they lived in a dorm which was way too small for a full-sized tree. The one they had got had been about two feet tall and didn't need to be tied to the top of the car but rather fit neatly in the back seat. Their sophomore year they had lived in a quad with two other girls and they had a joint living room. That year they actually did get a big tree and it was true that Weiss had tied it to the car, while the other three watched. Now in their junior year, they lived in an off-campus apartment.

  
"Don't worry. I'll help you." Yang offered.

  
In the parking lot, Weiss and Ruby stood off to the side as Yang and Blake tied the tree to Blake's car. Ruby and Yang had come in their dad's pickup truck and so Yang had simply thrown it in the back. Something about tossing the rope to Yang felt familiar to Blake, almost like deja vu.

* * *

"Here?" Weiss held an ornament up to the tree.

  
"A little more to the left," Blake observed.

  
Weiss hooked it on a branch and took a step back. "Perfect."

  
Blake's phone buzzed on the coffee table. Blake set her mug of tea down to look at it.

  
"Is that Yang again?" Weiss' voice was muffled as she was currently bent over a box of ornaments. Her head and arms disappeared as she dug around the bottom.

  
Blake held her hand up to her mouth as she giggled at the text. She was so deep in concentration thinking about how to respond that she didn't hear Weiss' question. Finally, she typed out what she thought was the perfect response. She hoped it elicited as much mirth in Yang as Yang's words had in her. When she looked up, Weiss was staring at her.

  
"What?" Blake asked.

  
"I asked you if that was Yang again."

  
"Yes, it was." Blake's cheeks grew hot. She hated how easy she blushed.

  
Weiss turned back to the tree and tried to find a spot for the ornament in her hand. "Do you think this is a good idea?"

  
"Texting Yang?" Blake tried to sound as innocent as she could.

  
"Don't play dumb, Blake. It doesn't suit you. You know what I mean."

  
While this comment could be misconstrued as rude, Blake knew that wasn't how Weiss meant it. Weiss was direct and most of the time she had a no-nonsense attitude. Blake was the opposite of direct. Her semblance proved that. She was all shadows and deception. Sometimes she hated that about herself.

  
"We're just friends," Blake said.

  
"Friends, who text every day almost constantly? Also, you don't text anybody back that quickly not even your parents. I think you like her." Weiss placed the ornament she had been holding on the tree and turned to Blake for her approval.

  
"Looks good," Blake nodded. "I do like her. I like Ruby too." But she knew what Weiss meant and if she was being honest, at least to herself, the way she was feeling about Yang, she hadn't felt that in a long time.

  
"Well, it's clear you don't want to talk about this right now. But just know that when you do, I'm here for you." Weiss sat next to Blake and laid a comforting hand on her shoulder. That was the good thing about Weiss. She knew when to call Blake on her avoidance tactics and when she needed more time before she would open up. That realization alone made Blake want to throw her a bone.

  
"I know why you're worried. It hasn't even been a year since...Adam." She knew just his name encompassed all that had happened. "But I'm okay. This is the longest it's ever been without hearing from him. I'm starting to think this time it's truly over. I know you think it's too soon but I think I'm ready to move on."

  
"With Yang?" There was a mischievous glint in Weiss's eye as she smirked at Blake.

  
Blake smiled back. "I don't know. What I do know is texting with Yang makes me happy."

  
Blake's phone buzzed on the table again and before she could even think about Weiss's previous comment she snatched it up. Good thing she was way past playing it cool around her friend.

"Yang wants to know if we want to go ice skating with her and Ruby tomorrow night."

  
Weiss's eye lit up at the mention of ice skating and she forgot that she was skeptical about Yang and Ruby. "Absolutely," she practically squealed in excitement.

  
Blake was excited too although for a very different reason than Weiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up - bees on ice!!


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So there's been some confusion as to the setting of this story. I wouldn't say it's entirely modern. It has some things in common with our world like the four-year university and Christmas holiday. But it also takes place in Remnant. I guess I'm thinking of it as like pre-Volume 1 before anything really bad began happening. If that stuff comes up, I'm not sure. I don't really plan my stories ahead of time. I usually just get an idea and run with it lol.
> 
> The girls are still training to be Huntresses, which is why Weiss has Myrtenaster. Aura, semblances, and faunus are all a thing. Although there are no teams. Weiss and Blake go to Atlas Academy and Yang and Ruby go to Beacon. In this story, they are both four-year universities.
> 
> Going forward I'll try to incorporate more world-building into the story. Thanks and I hope you all enjoy the next chapter!

Blake watched the skaters go round and round on the ice. One woman looked like she was training for the Olympics. She spun in circles on one foot away from everyone else. She went so fast she was just a blur on ice. Most of the children used crates to keep their balance. Blake admired their resilience. They fell often but would instantly pop back up and start skating again.

  
"Hurry up and lace your skates. What are you waiting for?" Weiss towered over Blake who was still sitting. She hopped back and forth from skate to skate as if she was already on the ice.

  
"Um, Ruby and Yang. You know the people who invited us." Blake answered.

  
Weiss rolled her eyes and turned to the ice. "They still would be able to find us if we were skating."

  
"Why don 't you go on ahead? I'll wait for them?"

  
"Really?" Weiss asked with excitement that wasn't even barely contained.

  
Blake assured her it was fine. She watched Weiss navigate the ice expertly. It was as if she was alone out there. She never looked as if she was going to run into any of the people. Her route around the ice looked intentional.

  
Blake was reminded of the last time she and Weiss had gone ice skating. She hadn't been looking forward and almost took out a little kid. She had turned around just in time to move out of the way. Thank gods for her cat-like reflexes.

  
"Found her," Ruby called over her shoulder as she approached Blake.

  
"For real this time?" Yang caught up and joined them.

  
"I saw a girl who looked just like you," Ruby explained as she sat down to put her skates on.

  
"Not even. She wasn't nearly pretty enough." Yang sat next to Blake.

  
Blake blushed and cleared her throat.

  
"Hey," Yang said softly catching Blake's eye.

  
"Hey." They shared a smile before Blake turned to Ruby. "Hi, Ruby."

  
"Hi! Where 's Weiss? " Ruby looked around as she pulled at her laces.

  
"Already on the ice. The rink is like her natural environment. I swear I think she could skate before she could walk. Do you guys skate often?"

  
"We've never been," Yang answered.

  
"We're staying with our uncle, Qrow, on holiday in Atlas. So we had to try skating." Ruby elaborated. "Is it true there's a floating ice rink?"

  
"Yes, it's true. Weiss and I have been there many times."

  
"We have to try that next Yang."

  
"One thing at a time, baby sister. Our dad would kill me if the first time we went skating I took her to the floating rink." Yang explained to Blake.

  
"Your dad is aware that you guys fight monsters at school regularly right?" Blake finished lacing her skates and stood up.

  
"Tai is a weird dude," Yang said by way of explanation.

  
"Dad's not weird. He just realizes that we're trained to fight monsters. We're not trained ice skaters." Ruby shakily got to her feet. Her ankles bent this way and that as she wobbled.

  
"They're not tight enough. Sit." Yang commanded. She knelt to relace Ruby's skates.

  
"And he so is weird. He has an irrational fear of ice. He doesn't even like it in his drinks."

  
Blake chuckled.

  
"Okay, all set." Yang stood up.

  
"I'm so excited. See you guys out there." Ruby dashed out on the ice. As soon as she did, it looked she would fall. Her arms pinwheeled but she managed to regain her balance and then she was off.

  
"You ready?" Blake turned to Yang.

  
"I'm so ready! Just don't laugh at me if I fall."

  
"I promise."

  
Blake entered the ice first. She reached out a hand for Yang, to help with the transition. Yang accepted gratefully. Butterflies erupted in Blake's stomach at the contact. It felt as if someone had shot them out of a cannon and now they were going crazy.

  
As soon as Yang's second foot was on the ice, Blake pulled her hand back. She didn't want to but she didn't know if Yang wanted her to.

  
They made a slow circuit around the ice. Blake could tell Yang was a little frustrated. She wanted to go faster but the first couple times she tried she wiped out. Each time Blake helped her up, she held on to Yang's hand a little longer than before.

  
"Your balance is off. Must be because you're so top-heavy." A girl twirled around Yang. She had bright orange hair with two sections of her bangs dyed light blue.

  
"Hey!" Yang's eyes flashed red and she stomped her foot as she adopted a fighting stance. The motion caused her to almost lose her balance and Blake wrapped an arm around her waist to steady her.

  
"Hmm, I guess having no balance has its perks." The girl said eyeing Blake's arm. Yang noticed.

  
Blake blushed and pulled back when she was sure Yang would remain upright.

  
It was right around that time when Blake realized who the girl was.

  
"Neon? Oh, my gods! How have you been?" Blake and Neon hugged. Blake turned to Yang "Neon was one of mine and Weiss' roommates last year. She ditched us to live with her boyfriend."

  
Yang seemed to relax a little at the mention that Neon had a boyfriend.

  
"I would say that's not how it went but it totally was. I was the girl who ditched her friends for her boyfriend. In my defense, though it wasn't the only reason. I was also sick of Adam being a total creep."

  
Blake's smile fell off her face at the mention of Adam and Neon must've realized she misspoke.

  
"Sorry. I heard you broke up with him. Good for you."

  
"Yeah," was all Blake could manage to say. She didn't want to have this conversation, she especially didn't want to have this conversation in front of Yang.

  
"Anyway," Neon continued, sensing the tension, "I should get back to Flynt. We should get lunch sometime. Weiss can even come too." Neon and Blake hugged goodbye and she waved to Yang.

  
Blake and Yang continued making laps around the rink. This time in silence. Thank gods for the sounds of the other skaters and the pop music playing overhead. Without it, the silence would have made Yang feel crazy.

  
Blake was distant now, lost in her thoughts. Yang didn't like the dark, brooding look on Blake's face. Her eyebrows were pinched low and her forehead was wrinkled in tension.

  
"Hey, can you skate backward?" Yang asked bringing Blake back to the present.

  
"What? No." Blake looked at Yang who was smiling at her and felt a corner of her mouth lift involuntarily. The ice that had encased her heart at the mention of Adam's name began to melt.

  
"It looks so cool." Yang swung her legs in big exaggerated arches and stretched her arms out in front of her. She went backward an inch or two then fell on her butt. She sat there pouting like a little kid until Blake helped her up.

  
"Now you try," Yang said once back on her feet.

  
Blake tried and while she did better than Yang had the result was the same. She ended up on her bottom.

  
They laughed and fell over and over as they tried to go backward. It was so much fun Blake forgot about her dark past momentarily and focused on the present.

* * *

  
Unbeknownst to the two laughing girls, they were being watched. The girl Ruby had at first mistaken for Blake stood near the entrance to the rink observing Blake and Yang's interactions.

  
She watched as they fell over and over. She watched as they laughed. She watched as they helped each other up with hands that lingered longer than was necessary. She watched the way they looked at each other with sparks leaping from lilac eyes to amber ones and back again until they couldn't look any longer for fear they would catch fire right there in front of everyone.

  
After that, she decided she had watched enough. She left the rink. As she walked down the street, her illusion shattered like glass. Her hair went from black to its real colors of pink and brown. There was a bounce to her step. After all her watching, she finally had something to report. A self-satisfied smirk settled on her lips.


	3. Chapter 3

Neo entered the apartment and immediately fought the urge to cover her ears. The tv's volume was turned all the way up and she could hear gunshots and explosions erupting from the speakers.

She walked into the living room and found her brother, Roman, and their roommate, Adam, tapping frantically on game controllers.

"He's behind the boxes. Behind. The. Boxes." Roman yelled into his headset.

"Dammit!" Adam threw his controller down as the game ended in their loss.

"That's my controller. Be more careful with it." Roman bent down to retrieve it while Adam fumed on the couch.

"My turn. Let me show you boys how it's done."

Neo watched as Roman's girlfriend, Cinder, took his spot on the couch and started a new game. Why did she have to do all the work while they played games all day?

"Neo, dear. I didn't hear you come in. How was your reconnaissance mission?”

Neo used her semblance to transform into Blake to show that she finally had something to report.

"Don't do that." Adam jumped to his feet and stared down at Neo. His voice was eerily calm, unlike the rage he exhibited upon losing the game.

Neo let the illusion fall away.

"Sit, Brother Adam," Roman said, mocking the way the White Fang members addressed each other. He laid a hand on Adam's shoulder indicating he should sit back down.

"The dust shipment's departure has been delayed. It's put all the White Fang a little on edge. You'll have to forgive him, Neo." Roman widened his eyes at Neo hoping she'd play along with his explanation.

Neo rolled hers. She really couldn't have cared any less.

"Now what can you tell us about the Belladonna girl?"

Later that night in her room, Neo logged on to Atlas Instant Messenger or AIM for short. She slipped headphones on and turned her music up way too loud. Roman and Adam were still in the living room playing their video games. Listening to music at full blast was the only way to drown them out. Not for the first time, Neo wished they had other hobbies to occupy their time in between missions. Something that took them out of the apartment.

'Hey!' A message popped up from KC.

Neo's heart skipped a beat. She was hoping to talk to them tonight. This place, her room, listening to her music, talking to KC, was the only place Neo truly felt like herself. KC was the only person she could share all her thoughts and feelings with, which was ironic because they didn't even know each other's real names or what they looked like.

Neo used to share everything with Roman but since he got them involved with the White Fang a growing distance had started to develop between them.

'Hey.' Neo answered back. Good thing it was the norm for everyone to sleep late in this house. Once KC and Neo started talking, they would typically message until late into the night.

* * *

"Her ex is Adam Taurus?" Clover asked as he set down the tea kettle.

"So what? Her friend, Neon, made him sound like a total skeeze but other than that what's the big deal?" Yang picked up her cup and blew steam off the top.

"Yang, Adam Taurus is the second in command for the White Fang. Ever since he rose to power, they have been increasingly radical and violent." Qrow explained. He accepted the cup his husband offered him. Clover sat down and casually threw an arm around Qrow.

"The girl you've been seeing, her name is Blake as in Blake Belladonna?" Qrow asked.

"We're not exactly seeing each other. Mostly just hanging out. Typically with other people around." Yang rambled.

"Semantics. Is this the girl? Clover showed Yang a picture he pulled up on his scroll.

The girl in the picture was clearly Blake, although she looked younger and her hair was a lot longer. The boy standing next to her had red hair with two darker red horns. He wore a mask that covered his eyes. One arm was wrapped around Blake's waist.

"Yeah. That's her. And that's Adam?" Yang asked.

Yang reluctantly passed the scroll back. She simultaneously wanted to look at it and never wanted to see it again. If only she could crop Adam completely out of the picture. She'd have to cut off his arm for that to work though.

"That's Adam. He's still here in Atlas. The Ace Ops still keep an eye on him." Clover put his scroll away.

"Didn't you look her up on your scroll after you met her? You know they can be used for other things besides games, right?" Qrow said.

"No. That takes the fun out of getting to know someone." Yang defended.

"Did you look me up after you first met me?" Clover smirked at Qrow.

"Of course I did. And you're so famous here in Atlas I found lots of interesting information."

"Oh yeah? Like what?" They were so close Clover was speaking almost directly into Qrow's ear.

"Okay. I'll be in my room thinking. About anything other than what's going on in here." Yang stood.

"Yang, wait." Qrow turned his face from his husband to his niece. "Just be careful with this girl. She has a questionable past and sometimes the past has a way of sneaking into the present."

Back in the guest room, they were sharing, Yang found Ruby with her headphones on, playing a game.

"Yang! Play with me."

Yang sat on the bed opposite her sister and pulled up the game.

"Uncle Qrow and Clover give you their warning about Blake?" Ruby asked while concentrating on the screen.

"They told you about it?"

"They want me to talk to you too. They told me about Blake's involvement with the White Fang and everything." Ruby intentionally didn't say Adam's name.

"They want me to stay away from her." It came out as more of a statement than a question.

"They want you to be careful."

"And what do you think baby sister?" Yang paused the game to look up at Ruby.

"I think you're going to do whatever you want. And I'm going to support you either way." Ruby and Yang shared a smile. "Besides unlike Qrow and Clover, I've met Blake. She's sweet. I like her. I'm not saying her past wasn't dangerous but that shouldn't dictate her future. Also like Blake said, we fight monsters at school. We're training to be Huntresses. I think we can handle a little danger."

* * *

Atlas' Christmas village was famous. People came from all the kingdoms to visit every year. It was set up like a market except instead of fruit and weapon stands some stands sold ornaments for the tree, wreaths, hot apple cider and hot chocolate, sweet roasted nuts.

It was done up with white, sparkling lights on everything. The whole place emitted a glow that could rival the sun. Part market, part fair, there were Christmas themed rides like the Reindeer coaster in which people rode as if in an extended version of Santa's sleigh pulled by metal reindeer. Then there were the real reindeer and the various horned Faunus who pretended to be reindeer turned human to regale the children with tales of Christmas night rides.

The Christmas spirit was infectious and the tensions between humans and Faunus evaporated once you stepped into the village. It truly was like entering a separate world. One where those differences didn't matter. One where the Grimm couldn't get you.

The soldiers patrolling kept their weapons concealed and exchanged their normal Atlesian gray uniforms for green and red.

Despite the cheery aura that permeated the village, Blake felt sad and distracted. Thoughts of last year's trip to the village with Adam plagued her thoughts. She had wanted to have a normal night.

At that point, her involvement with the White Fang was virtually nonexistent, a member in name only due to her relationship with Adam.

Thinking back she was surprised at how easily Adam let her renege on her duties to the cause. Probably he thought he could pressure her later when he became first in command and a united front on their part was essential to his effective rule.

Adam took the trip to the village as a scouting mission, observing the Atlesian soldiers, even going so far as to prank them. He started fires in garbage cans. Made them run around. Made them scramble. At the time, Blake had just been grateful that he hadn't outright attacked them. A fresh wave of sadness overtook her at how bare minimum that was.

Those memories were one of the reasons why she suggested meeting here. She wanted new, happy memories. Ones that contained someone who wanted to play games and go on rides with her. Someone who saw her as a person, not an accessory or an object.

"Is that them?" Weiss jumped up from the bench where they had been watching for Ruby and Yang.

"No," Blake said glancing at the two girls that were clearly not Ruby and Yang. "You seem more excited than me."

"It's the Christmas village. The single best event that Atlas puts up every year. And this time I'm going to find all 26 elves." Weiss was referring to a scavenger hunt in which if you found all 26 elves, each one representative of a letter of the alphabet, you received a prize. The locations changed every year and Weiss had been trying to get the prize since she was a little girl, despite being unaware of what it was. Only a handful of people had ever completed the task.

"You know it's probably something silly, right?"

"It's not about the prize, Blake. It's about the sense of accomplishment."

"There they are," Blake said spotting the girls with her enhanced eyesight. She waved until they saw her and waved back.

'She sees me.' Blake thought and her heart skipped a beat. It was possible that no one had seen her as Yang saw her. It was what she wanted but it scared her too.

"Ruby, you're with me." Weiss grabbed the girl by the arm as soon as she was close enough. Weiss immediately began to drag her away.

"Umm but..." Ruby struggled and turned to Yang and Blake. She gave in pretty quickly though and waved to the other two girls.

"What was that about?" Yang asked.

"She's on the hunt for elves."

"Right."

The girls stood until they couldn't see Weiss and Ruby any longer.

"So what do you want to do first? Rollercoaster? Teacups? Games? Do you want something to eat? I think I saw a fudge stall. Do you like fudge?" Yang was all excitement as she rattled off the options.

Blake chuckled. "Those all sound lovely but there's something I want to show you first. It's my favorite part of the village. They'll be time to do the rest after. And even if we don’t hit them all, I'm happy just to share what we can together. " Blake hooked her arm through Yang's.

"Me too." Yang let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. Blake saw her shoulders relax.

The girls began their journey through the village.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to all who read and commented! Any thoughts as to who KC is? Hint: the initials aren't a clue so you literally have nothing to go on but guessing is always fun


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Since it's Valentine's Day, this chapter is pure fluff and solely focused on the bees. Enjoy!!

Blake led Yang all through the village to one of the last stands. It sold miniature buildings and people and Faunus. Next to the stand was a huge table with a village set up.

"Menagerie," Blake said. "It's an exact replica. "

"I've never been," Yang said eyeing the village.

"Why would you have? Not many humans ever step foot there," the stand's proprietor said approaching them. "Ms. Belladonna, for you." He handed Blake a miniature in a box.

"Thanks, Arlo." She tucked it into her backpack. "I get one every year. I'm working on my own setup in the apartment." She explained to Yang as she dug out some Lien.

"How many times do I have to tell you, Blake? Your money's no good here."

"Please," Blake entreated. "Give it to the children to play games."

The two children in question had been stacking boxes of houses with bored expressions on their faces. Their ears perked up at Blake's suggestion.

"Fine. But you two come right back when that money runs out." Arlo called after them as they raced into the fair. He turned back to the boxes they had been stacking and picked up where they left off.

During this exchange, Yang had been walking around looking at the mini-version of Menagerie.

"It kind of reminds me of home," she said.

"Vale?" Blake questioned.

"No. We're from Patch. It's a small island. Do you visit Menagerie often?"

"I grew up there but I haven't been back since I left when I was fourteen." Blake was looking at the biggest house set apart from the others.

"Does your family still live there?"

"Yes." She nodded at the mansion.

Yang's eyes got wide in surprise.

Blake chuckled. "My parents are important figures. My father used to run the White Fang before..." She didn't really want to end that sentence. "Looking at this village makes me both happy and sad. I miss my life there but I love my life here."

"Why don't you go back for a visit?"

"I can't," Blake answered. The way she said it made Yang not push it any further.

"What's all this blank space?" Yang indicated a section of the table on which no buildings had been placed, just mounds of sand.

"Two-thirds of Menagerie is desert. Uninhabitable. The Faunus were given the worst land in Anima. Arlo likes to show that. It's part of the reason he gets this less than ideal spot for his stand. Ironic isn't it?" Blake picked up a handful of sand and watched as it slipped through her fingers.

"That's not fair." Yang was indignant on behalf of the Faunus.

"No, it's not." Blake walked around the table back to Yang. She once again linked her arm through Yang's. "But that's a conversation for another day. Let's go play some games. I bet I can win you more prizes than you can win me."

"You're on!" Yang agreed, her competitive side ignited.

* * *

The first game they decided on was Test Your Strength, Christmas-themed by being painted red and green. Blake and Yang waited in line as the couple in front of them kept purchasing more attempts.

"Come on, Cardin. I want the big stuffed reindeer!" Cardin's date whined.

The big stuffed reindeer in question was a top tier prize. The only way to win it was by hitting the sensor so hard that it went all the way to the top, ringing the bell. From the looks of the stuffed elves by her feet, Cardin had been at this for quite some time.

After the fifth attempt that Blake and Yang saw, Yang, becoming impatient, decided to intervene.

"May I?" She picked up the mallet as Cardin wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"Hey! I paid for this round. You can't just steal it from me." He stepped up and got in Yang's face puffing his chest out.

"I'm sorry I thought your date wanted something other than a consolation prize." Yang looked over Cardin's shoulder and winked at the girl who giggled in reply.

"Cardin, let her try." She laid a hand on his arm.

He turned to his date. "Pfft. As if she'll..." Before he could even finish his sentence, the bell sounded.

"We have a winner!" The game attendant announced. He reached into a box and pulled out a huge stuffed reindeer. He handed it to Yang who handed it to Cardin's date.

"Lucky shot. I bet you can't do it again." Cardin smirked.

Yang grinned right back and then promptly rang the bell again. The attendant handed Yang another reindeer and whispered, "As amazing as that was they only gave me six of these reindeer so..."

"Gotcha." Yang held up the reindeer triumphantly and the line cheered. "For you." Yang presented it with a flourish to Blake.

"My hero." Blake accepted.

A little girl tugged on Yang's coat to get her attention. "Excuse me. My dad was playing earlier and he couldn't win. Do you think you could win a reindeer for me?" She indicated a big, burly man with arms the size of barrels. He stood looking up at the sky, purposefully not at the interaction. Yang had a feeling it was his idea to send his daughter over.

Yang turned, panicked to Blake. "What do I do? The game attendant told me I couldn't play again."

Blake's heart swooned at the sight of Yang genuinely concerned over disappointing this child she didn't even know.

"Why don't you take mine?" Blake offered the girl her reindeer. "My arms are already getting tired from holding it. I bet yours won't as quickly and if they do your dad looks like he can help in that department."

The girl nodded her head enthusiastically in agreement. She gingerly took the reindeer from Blake and raced back to her father to show it off. The man opened his mouth as if he wanted to protest but Blake smiled and waved him off. He pushed himself off from where he had been leaning and smiled at the girls as his daughter rattled off possible names for the reindeer.

"Now you won't have one," Yang said. She knew it was kind of silly but she really wanted Blake to remember this.

"How about I take one of these?" Blake picked up one of the elves that Cardin had won. He and his date had wandered off leaving them behind. "Even though I think this story would be impossible to forget, I'll always have something to remember it by," she said as if reading Yang's mind.

Blake placed the elf in her backpack along with the miniature. She zipped him in so only his head was poking up. "So he can enjoy the fair too." She explained to Yang as she once again linked their arms as they searched for their next activity.

* * *

"Now this is my game," Blake said.

They were in front of a game where you had to shoot moving targets with a fake gun. The targets were various Grimm wearing Santa hats. She gave the man at the booth a ticket and grabbed the gun. With barely anytime between shots, Blake hit every target down.

"Winner!" The man announced. "What prize would the lady like?"

Blake turned to Yang. "You choose since I already have my souvenir."

"I'll take the Ursa," Yang said with excitement. The Ursa, also donning a Santa hat, was the biggest prize there. It came up to Yang's waist.

"That's a big Ursa." A boy commented, eyes wide, as he passed Yang, now holding it.

The girls played almost every game they passed. Blake explained that most of them were from the summer fairs Atlas held, only repurposed for the season.

"Hence the Santa hat on the Grimm," she explained, eyeing the Ursa.

There were also the rides. On the Reindeer Coaster, Yang insisted on lifting her hands off the bar that was holding them in at each drop and whooping in excitement much to the chagrin of the parents whose children insisted they do the same.

Finally, when they had done everything at least once, Blake suggested they sit for a minute. Yang was like an indefatigable ball of energy. The four of them, the Ursa, Yang, Blake, and the backpack with the elf, in that order, watched the fair. Between the two of them, they had won a lot more prizes but had given them away to various kids.

The bench they sat on faced the big Christmas tree in the center. Everywhere they looked the place twinkled. White lights were strung up on all the stands. The Christmas tree was the only place where colored lights were used. You could tell the people who were experiencing the fair for the first time because their mouths hung open in awe upon seeing the tree.

After Blake finished eating a piece of peppermint bark they had bought, she said, "Thank you."

Yang turned to look at her, "For what?"

"For tonight. This is my third time at this fair and the first time I've enjoyed it."

Yang's fist clenched in anger at the thought "That's not right," she said.

"No, but it is right now." Blake laid a hand over Yang's fist.

Yang relaxed, turning back to look at Blake. She opened her fist and intertwined her fingers with Blake's. Her eyes made a circuit from Blake's eyes to her lips and back again. She leaned in close, closer. She saw Blake's eyes flutter closed a second before her own did and then...

"Yangggg!"

Yang's eyes shot open and her head whipped around. Ruby and Weiss were approaching. Blake was watching them too, a slight blush coloring her cheeks.

"I told her not to yell." Weiss eyed Blake's hand still resting in Yang's and raised an eyebrow in question to her friend. Blake simply smiled in return and left her hand right where it was.

"What have you been up to?" Blake turned her eyes to Ruby.

"We found every elf," Ruby answered munching on a gingerbread cookie in the shape of a Beowolf.

"After all these years, finally. What was the prize?" Blake directed to Weiss.

"A box of gingerbread cookies, which someone has been bogarting." Weiss turned her gaze to Ruby.

"Heh, heh. Sorry." She offered the box to Weiss who took a Nevermore-shaped cookie.

Weiss bit a wing off with a smile. "Totally worth it. Are you guys ready to get out of here?"

The four of them walked to the parking lot. Ruby and Weiss in front chatting about their adventure and munching on cookies. Blake and Yang held back a bit still holding hands and silent, each thinking about their almost kiss.

Luckily the two cars weren't parked that far apart. Weiss insisted she get the box of cookies but Ruby was sure to grab a few before handing it over. Sensing that Blake and Yang needed a few more moments alone to say goodbye Ruby and Weiss got into the same car to continue talking while they waited.

"So, thanks again," Blake said a bit awkwardly, turning to Yang. She wanted to recreate the moment from before but these words had already been said and they didn't feel quite right anymore.

"Yeah." Yang took her hand back and Blake thought the chance was gone. But Yang turned to face her and reached her hand up to tuck a piece of Blake's hair behind her ear. Her fingers lingered as she traced the shape of Blake's ear, down her jaw to her chin. Blake's stomach did a flip and a shiver ran down her back at the touch.

Yang's eyes were once again on Blake's lips. "Can I kiss you?" As Yang asked this her eyes traveled back up to Blake's eyes seeking permission.

"Yes." It came out breathless and way needier than Blake would have liked under normal circumstances. But at that moment she didn't care. She leaned closer to Yang and closed her eyes.

When Yang's lips brushed against her own, it was softer than she could've ever imagined. Tentative at first but when Blake kissed her back, Yang became more confident, still soft but surer.

Yang's hands moved to hold Blake's face and Blake's rested against Yang's hips. It was a slow kiss but all too soon it was over and all Blake could think was that it was perfect. It was the perfect way to kiss someone for the first time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone who's read, commented, gave kudos, etc. If you want to comment but don't know what to say let me know something you liked/disliked, a line, a description, dialogue, anything. Any feedback would be helpful in making this story even better!


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